"As to the Atlantic and Great Western, I never acted for the company. Prior to this time I had acted for Mr. A. C. Flagg and others, trustees under several of the mortgages, and for certain bondholders; and Mr. Gould knew it. Certainly, nothing in this engagement in the Cleveland and Pittsburg interfered with my right to continue to act for those trustees and creditors, or to act anew for them. In January and February, 1870, I argued before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and in the Ohio court, for the trustees and first mortgage bondholders, various questions as to the proposed lease. Mr. Gould faintly set up a claim that he was entitled to notice from me; and I at once reminded him that he knew all the time what my relations to the trustees and bondholders were, and had been for years, and that I had frequently, as _their_ representative, had conferences with the counsel of the Erie. The union of the Atlantic and Great Western Company and the creditors inferior to the first mortgage with the Erie, prevailed; and a lease--which I believe all now agree was improvident and unwise--was made. "I do not mean to say that it might not happen that a retainer is sometimes received and yet no further services rendered in the case. I presume that this often happens without impropriety. I have only to say that, so far as I recollect, it never has happened to me in any single instance of my professional life. I have been content to receive compensation fixed by agreement with my clients after the services were rendered. I have, in no instance, had any controversy or difference of opinion with any client as to the amount of compensation. I have never heard of any discontent after the settlement, unless this may be such a case. "Since there is an elaborate attempt to misrepresent an act of my professional life, I have a right to say this--without the imputation of egotism; and I have a right to add that, for the last sixteen years, at least, my only trouble has been not to accept more business than I could perform according to my standard of duty and justice to those who entrust their affairs to my management; that I have not accepted half which has been offered of cases in which the clients were willing themselves to fix my compensation to my full satisfaction out of what they would recognize as acknowledged benefits.